Discovery of “Dark Oxygen” Produced at the Sea Floor Where No Light Can Reach! GEO GIRL

A recent (2024) study has found molecular oxygen (O2) being produced at the seafloor! They are calling it 'dark' oxygen because, up to this point, we understood oxygen to form only by photosynthesis (aka: at Earth's surface, where light can reach). However, this dark oxygen was produced ~4000 m below the surface, where no light can reach! This discovery reshapes our fundamental understanding of how oxygen and carbon are cycled through Earth's systems. No longer is O2 production bound to Earth's surface. This has major implications for how we view Earth's chemical cycles and biosphere moving forward. In this video, I talk about the discover of dark O2 and the potential significances of this! Hope you enjoy ;D

0:00 Evolution of Oxygen on Earth
1:48 The Oxygen Cycle (as we knew it…)
3:20 Why O2 ‘shouldn’t’ be produced on the seafloor
4:10 Discovery of ‘Dark’ Oxygen
4:49 Where Dark O2 has been detected
5:16 How Dark Oxygen Forms
7:46 Significance of Dark Oxygen
10:06 Significance for the Origin of Life
12:39 Significance for Mining

References:
Main article: Sweetman et al., 2024: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01...
CNN summary:
Scientific American summary: https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
Article on dark oxygen being produced biologically in soils: https://www.wired.com/story/the-secre...

My thallium article if you're interested: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.07...

GEO GIRL Website: https://www.geogirlscience.com/ (visit my website to see all my courses, shop merch, learn more about me, & donate to support the channel if you'd like!)

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Non-textbook books I recommend:
Oxygen by D. Canfield: https://amzn.to/3gffbCL
Brief history of Earth by A. Knoll: https://amzn.to/3w3hC1I
Life on young planet by A. Knoll: https://amzn.to/2RBMpny
Some assembly required by N. Shubin: https://amzn.to/3w1Ezm2
Your inner fish by N. Shubin: https://amzn.to/3cpw3Wb
Oxygen by N. Lane: https://amzn.to/3z4FgwZ
Alien Oceans by K. Hand: https://amzn.to/3clMx1l
Life's Engines: https://amzn.to/3w1Nhke

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Geology field notebook: https://amzn.to/3lb6dJf
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Geological hand lens: https://amzn.to/3jXysM5
Camera: https://amzn.to/3l6fGRT
Carbon-neutral pencil bag: https://shrsl.com/3cvjv
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